Spring is here and those of us with the furriest cats on the planet are enjoying shedding season! With the warmer weather, our Persians, Himalayans and exotics no longer need their thick winter coats.
Before you know it, your cat starts to shed overnight and all of her favorite nap spots start to have a fine coating of hair. Without a doubt, this is one of the most frustrating times of the year with your Persian.
The best way to survive the spring molting season is to be proactive.
1. Adopt a consistent daily routine for grooming your cat.
A. It only takes 5-10 minutes a day to keep your cat knot free.
b. To keep your styling session smooth, comb through one section a day. Make the back and sides, then the head and ruff, then the bottom, pants, and tail.
2. Bathe your cat at least once a month or more often if sheds a lot.
A. Using a diluted baby shampoo or dish soap, massage your cat’s fur well while washing.
b. Rinse well and re-shampoo.
against Be sure to rinse thoroughly when you’re done. The remaining shampoo residue irritates the skin.
Another option that some Persian dog owners chose is to shave their cats.
The lion cut is very popular and removes all body hair along with bothersome fine hair under the armpits, on the tummy and between the hind legs. As a bonus, the breeches are cut so that no poop gets stuck in the hair.
If shaving your cat completely doesn’t appeal to you, shaving the cat’s underside from the front armpits to the buttocks is a good compromise. With this cut, all fine, matted belly hair is removed. Combing sessions are much easier and less annoying for the cat.
Believe it or not, there are exotic owners who shave their cats at the start of shedding season. Most people believe that since grooming an Exotic is less of a hassle than grooming its longhaired Persian or Himalayan counterpart, the Exotic does not tangle or shed much.
MISTAKEN!
The thick undercoat of an exotic can cake into little knots all over the body during the molting season. What doesn’t get tangled will end up all over the house. With longhairs, most of their dead hair gets caught and tangled.
So what do you do if you don’t catch your cat’s shedding and end up with huge knots?
Never, ever, EVER use scissors to cut a knot! Scissors should only be used by an experienced groomer, veterinarian or breeder.
Cat fur is very loose. Grasping your cat’s ruff at the back of his neck is an example of how loose his skin is. When the fur becomes tangled and the knot is tightened, the hair pulls the skin towards the knot. Trying to cut a knot could potentially cut the cat’s fur.
If your cat knots a lot, your only option is to take him to a groomer or veterinarian with experience in cat care, particularly cat shaving. If your cat freaks out during grooming, especially when you hear scissors, you should choose your veterinarian to trim your cat’s fur. She may put her cat under mild anesthesia to hold the kitty more securely.
If you choose to buy scissors so that you can shave your cat yourself, you need to have a breeder, groomer or vet show you how to do it. There are certain techniques in positioning and using razors that can mean the difference between a clean cut and a burn and nick.
Persians, Himalayans, and Exotics are all high-maintenance cat breeds. They are also such sweet and precious companions that grooming them shouldn’t be a nightmare. Enjoy your kitty during shedding season by choosing your favorite method of fighting the hair war.